How do the engines of meteorological aircraft handle all the rain and wind in a hurricane?
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Think about it this way. A category 5 hurricane has wind speeds above 157 miles per hour. A typical commuter jet flies at speeds of 500+ mph. The reason a plane can traverse a hurricane is that hurricane winds all blow in the same direction. From the plane’s perspective, it isn’t that much different from regular flying. Conversely, a thunderstorm has chaotic winds that blow the plane in directions it’s not intended to go.
You don’t need to fly at the altitude the hurricane is. You can fly above it. You will shake a bit but that’s it.
The aircraft used are Lockheed WC-130s and WP-3D Orion aircraft. While not particularly quick planes, they use 4 turboprop engines that produce 4,600 horsepower each. Turboprops have separators that divert water that is ingested from going into the engine, and the aircraft is rugged and powerful enough that hurricane winds don’t affect it, even when flying through the eye wall of the hurricane. The planes are derived from military cargo planes that are designed for high performance under difficult conditions.
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